Gem of the Wilted Soul: Chapter One
Kagome sighed heavily as she rested her head against the Goshinboku's knotted trunk, completely exhausted.
Naraku had been defeated; the once sworn enemy of the group was gone. It was most likely because of the group's increase in size: the group had joined with Lord Kouga's wolf tribe and Lord Sesshomaru with his dragon steed; would they have requested, Sesshomaru's army would have followed as well.
Upon the request of Kagome: Ayame and her tribe of wolves had joined them as well. Though the tension between Kouga and Ayame never dissipated; they were more civil to one another as soon as Ayame had met InuYasha. Praise Kami! What a fit he had when that red-headed wolf demon started following him everywhere. Her excuse was that: 'he's a dog…close enough!'
Kagome had ended up alone after all the work she had went through to destroy Naraku. She had no intention of marrying Koga; he loved her but she would not be forced into love. She wanted to find her own love; hers and hers alone.
Kikyou had been put to rest when Naraku had confessed to his trespassing against her and InuYasha; InuYasha was heart-broken; he had loved her so deeply that it took weeks for the group to lift his spirits. Mind you, Kouga and Sesshomaru didn't help much. You could see the concealed laughter in their eyes. Kagome had wished many a time that those two also had beads around their necks.
Shippo had grown into a fine demon over the course of their travels. Though still small, his fox-fire had become almost as deadly as InuYasha's Soul Stealer. Her little kit was growing up; tears welled up in her eyes when she remembered that she would not be able to live long enough to see him grow into an adult.
Through her tears she spat out: "Stupid mortality."
There was only one other child she loved as her own: Rin. She might have lived long enough to see Rin grow up well.
Sadly though, Rin had died at the hands of Naraku. This is when they had become friends with Sesshomaru. She began to cry harder.
He could not be consoled at all after her death. He had said that the Tenseiga had refused his attempts to save her. Her body, he had said, was too greatly gone.
The miasma had killed her almost instantly and the poison almost entirely ate through her flesh. She let out a deep breath she didn't know she was holding.
All of Rin's efforts were to protect Jaken from being eaten by a demon on the castle grounds; apparently the guards had been taken over by Naraku and had tried to capture the girl for ransom of the Lord's surrender.
She was small yet she fought hard; one of Sesshomaru's men had taught her sword-fighting. She had managed to disarm three of them before Naraku had finished her off for her insolence. He apparently had thought of a more devious way of making Sesshomaru surrender.
Kagome had been his lifeline in a way; if she had not been in his vicinity when he broke out into a rage, he never would have calmed enough to listen to some sense. His heart had been wounded, that she could see. With proof that she meant no harm, the Tenseiga allowed her to get close enough to his beast to calm it. Since then, he had been one of her dearest friends and allies.
She had grown to love him and respect him. She didn't know, though, if he felt the same. Although, one day on the field, he had promised to die fighting for her if that meant that she survived to bring more light and happiness to those around her. That meant more to her than anything.
Sesshomaru would leave that morning. She had but 12 hours to decide upon what she would do. He had given her the choice that if she wanted to come to the palace and stay there, she could, or she could remain with InuYasha. In truth, she had no place to stay if she did remain in the warring-era and chose not to go with Sesshomaru.
InuYasha was a born-traveler and with Ayame tagging along, he would be more than busy.
Sango and Miroku were going to stay in the slayer village of Sango's childhood and rebuild it. There was no place for her there. They had the services of a monk so they did not need a priestess such as herself.
Shippo had been invited to stay at the castle as well; he was, technically, her son. He had called her Okaa-san since she had met him. Trauma had taken his parents and when she played a key role in avenging their death, she became his okaa; not that she minded or anything.
Then again, Kagome could go home. Though, did she really want to? Going home would mean giving up the chance of a lifetime: finding love. She knew that you could find love in her time but not true love. Everyone was so biased and greedy that no one could be completely trusted. Divorces happened every day. In this era, though, they married for life, or mated in a demon's case, and their love lasted forever. In rare cases it didn't, but the partner accepted that the love was lost and stayed with their partner anyway. Hearts were never broken in the feudal era.
Love. It was such a simple concept in the feudal era. She knew a few things. She loved Koga, she loved InuYasha, she loved her family, and she loved Shippo, but she also knew that her love for these people were different. This wasn't love as in marriage. This was love as in 'I'll never forget you and I'll never let you down.'
Then again, her love for Koga could become true love. There was no one there to take him from her; no other woman for him to go running off to. She could truly love the cocky bastard but she wanted to find that out for herself, not be pushed into it.
There was also something that she knew that no one else knew in her group. She knew about the Gem of the Wilted Soul.
This was no ordinary gemstone, though. It was a gem that housed a heart-broken soul of a priestess. If Kagome were to find this gem, it would lead her to her soul mate, and also there was something else it did but the scroll she had read didn't mention what. The page had been torn before she had found it.
There were times when she didn't want to find her soul mate. Questions ran through her head about things like looks, personality and other things she did not wish to think of again. Eventually she had decided to go for it.
The thing was: she needed someone to come with her, but who? She had her arrows but if she was surrounded, the arrows would do no help. Who would serve as the best protection out of her friends?
Everyone had their pros and cons. InuYasha had his temper. Sesshomaru had his urges to kill random things. Shippo was a little bit chicken and still developing in his skills. Miroku was a hentai. Sango was pre-occupied a lot; not to mention Kirara had just had kittens. Koga would insist on bringing the tribe and would try to seduce her on the way.
Who would she choose? She kept pondering and pondering that thought until someone broke the silence.
"Kags? You okay?"
"InuYasha, I am fine."
"You sure?"
"I'm just thinking."
"Hmmm….'bout what?"
"None of your business."
"It is too my business." At the moment she was not in the mood for this. She had to be by herself to think, and there was only one way to make him shut up.
"InuYasha…"
"Yea…"
"OSUWARI!" 'Thud' There would be an argument now and some swear words and then Sesshomaru would shove him back into the dirt for his foul mouth. It was like a daily ritual in her group of friends.
"What the HELL was that for WENCH?"
"InuYasha stop this foul behavior or this Sesshomaru will make you a permanent piece of landscaping."
"Fuck off, Sesshomaru."
"InuYasha stop it! Don't swear at Sesshomaru!"
"Fine then…Fucking wench, what the HELL was that for?"
"For not leaving me to my business and being nosy."
"Is that even a crime?"
"It is in my book!" She glanced at Sesshomaru, who was standing regally, waiting for her cue.
"Fuck your book!" She gave Sesshomaru the signal. That was one swear too many.
"InuYasha, watch your tongue in front of a woman. Especially one of such stature."
Okay, Kagome was officially confused.
"Stature? What did she ever do to deserve stature?" Inu--.
"More than you have done, but yet I gave you the title of Prince of the Western Lands, did I not?"
"Feh." --Yasha. She was getting angry. He was prying into Sesshomaru's business now.
"I have named her priestess of the Western Lands. A high honor; especially in the eyes of other priestesses. No other priestess has proven worthy. This is why she was invited to stay at the palace." InuYasha just scoffed, it was Kagome who replied.
"Oh…that's why…" Kagome then turned her gaze from him. He didn't love her, she was just his priestess. Now she needed that jewel. She had no one who truly loved her with all of his heart. She motioned for InuYasha to leave; this was not a conversation she wanted him to witness.
Sesshomaru then moved to sit beside her.
"Kagome…do you think that that is the only reason?"
"Yes."
"Then you are blind."
"Maybe I am. My heart seems to be." She glanced at the road. "I have to go. Your lives will go on without me; I have no doubt." She began to rise from her sitting position, her legs numb and bruised.
"Why do you wish to leave?" He sounded hurt. She truly hoped that the jewel would lead her to a person she could live with because she was leaving her best friend for him. He reached for her hand and she allowed him to lead her back down to the ground. This would be a long conversation.
"Because I have no place among demons, especially those who wish to use me as their slave. I no longer have to sense the shards for my first aggravator, so I shall not fall victim to the brother of that very same aggravator. But you are cunning, Sesshomaru, you wish to hide my enslavement with promises of glory." This hurt her to say and in her heart she knew it was a lie.
"I would never do such a thing to you! Do you not trust our friendship? The one you worked so hard to create? Do you not think I am not grateful to you for opening my heart to those around me? For letting me get over the death of…of…" He could not say her name.
Oh, how she cried for him in her heart. Oh, how she wished to stay with him and oh, how she wished for him to be her soul mate.
"…my ward. Do you not think that I am grateful to you for saving me from certain death because of that unimaginable grief?"
"Sesshomaru…I may return after my quest. This quest is important to me. I did not mean those cruel words I said earlier; I do value our friendship; more than my life itself, but I have to do this, even if you hate me for the rest your life; long after I am dead."
"Can I not ask what this quest is?"
"No…it is personal, but if it makes you feel better: I shall stay here three more days."
"Will you not rethink this at all?"
"No, my mind is set." Kagome then stood up. Sesshomaru stood along with her. "But I will stay…if only for three days…for you."
"That's all I could ask for."
Then she remembered that one fact she had forgotten. "Sesshomaru?"
"Hai?"
"Don't you leave in the morning?"
"Hai, which is why I thought you would reconsider your quest. I thought that you would come back with me to the palace, but obviously this quest bears a burden on you and you wish to go on it. I can only hope that you will come to the castle when you are finished."
"I can't be certain that I will return. My quest is very dangerous but I have no choice but to go through with it."
"Dangerous?"
"Hai, but that is none of your concern. I do not want to burden anyone with my protection any longer. You all have lives that you need to lead, and I will no longer be in your way."
"Nothing, to me, is more important than your safety."
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"I have no choice but to go with you."
"No, no, no. I told you, this quest is dangerous."
"Exactly. That is why I am going with you."
Uh oh, what was he up to?
"If you knew what this quest was, you would not want to come along. You would leave me to my business."
"Then tell me what this mysterious quest is then?"
"No."
"Hai."
"DINNER!" Sango interrupted the argument with her usual battle cry of 'dinner'; meant to bring all around to the campfire…or so she thought.
"HAI! I win!" Kagome jumped up, pushing Sesshomaru on the way.
"Oh no you don't" He got up and in a flash, Kagome was pinned.
"Argh! Sesshomaru!"
"Hai?"
"SHOVE OFF!" Kagome thrashed about underneath him, ever so often scratching her nails across his face. The little red markings were soon gone however and all of her struggling ended when Sesshomaru began to laugh.
His laugh was hypnotizing; pulling her in and amazing her in the process. She had never heard him laugh, but then again before she had become close with him, she had never seen him truly smile either.
His smiles always meant death for the one he smiled at, but not when he smiled at her. When he smiled at her he was truly happy and that made her feel like the most important person in the world. Right now, he was making her feel childish. SO not cool!
"What are YOU laughing at? Do you find it funny that you have me pinned beneath you? Well? Do you?" Kagome gave him a sarcastic, yet questioning look; she really did want to know what was so funny.
"I am laughing at the fact that 1) you think you can hurt this Sesshomaru and 2) that you are currently displaying the youkai sign of submission…usually to her mate." Sesshomaru stressed the word mate before starting to giggle again. Well, you couldn't really call it giggling but he wasn't laughing out loud now. He hardly was making a sound, but his eyes told all.
His eyes had always given away everything he was thinking. When he was laughing or thoroughly enjoying himself, they sparkled. When he was with her his eyes held an unknown understanding in their depths. He never had that look with anyone else.
When he was with InuYasha, his emotions never stayed the same. Sometimes anger would flit in and out of his golden orbs and sometimes there would be calmness…and once there was even respect. When he had been around his ward and was around Shippo, warmth filled those pools of gold. Around Sango and Miroku, there was respect and around Jaken, there was nothing.
She loved the look he gave the children the most. It was as if he was a whole different person around them and she loved that part of him. When he killed she did not love him as much, but respected him more, but when he came back to them, bloodied and tired, and Shippo came to him and comforted him, she loved him, oh how she loved him. Her love for him had grown farther than her love for InuYasha would have ever been, even if she would have pursued it, but she knew, somewhere in her heart, that Sesshomaru would never feel the same way.
Kagome sighed as her mind brought her back to reality. It was only then that she realized the full affect of what Sesshomaru had said.
"Now why would you mention that unless you wanted me to know the courting rituals for demons. Obviously, you have some ulterior motive."
Sesshomaru stopped laughing and looked at the smirking ningen beneath him. "Oh? And why would I have an ulterior motive, ne?" He gave her a flirtatious, yet questioning, look.
"I don't know, Sesshy, why don't you tell me?" Kagome gave him a sarcastic glare as she said the name 'Sesshy', he hated being called that.
"Well, wench, I would have to say it is because you know far too many youkai for my taste that, how would you put it, like you and I would not want to be pulled into an unnecessary battle with a lesser demons, far below my stature, especially over a ningen such as yourself." Sesshomaru then stared right at Kagome and his eyes changed. There was a sudden seriousness within them, and it chilled Kagome to the bone.
"Well, I do NOT want to be a bother to you, oh great taiyoukai, so now could you please GET OFF!" Kagome then pushed on the now, stunned Sesshomaru's chest, and flipped him off of her. Tears poured from her eyes. Damn, how could I have been so STUPID, she cried in her head. "I think I'll be leaving early, Sesshomaru-sama! Good-bye!" Kagome then jumped up and ran back to the camp.
"Kagome…" Sesshomaru stared in awe at where his friend had once sat before him. What have I done: he asked himself. He then placed his head in his hands and was almost on the verge of crying, but he stopped himself. He never cried. At least, he hadn't cried, since his mother had died. There was hardly ever a reason to cry. There was no one he truly cared for enough to cry for. Well, there was Rin but he hadn't cried over her. He had been in such a rage over her death that he had not the capacity to cry. His heart had frozen over on that day and he had promised himself that it would forever stay that way. That is, until he met Kagome. How could I have been so stupid as to let her go like that! Why did I even say that to her! She means more to me than anything and yet I went and ruined it all! God, I was so close. I was so close to asking her and now she's off on some strange quest and she's left without me! Knowing her powers, she'll cover scent and aura and I'll never find her!
Baka…:
Who are you?
:Your inner self:
Why do you choose now to speak to me?
:Because you need me:
Why do you say that, beast?
:Because you just insulted and drove off our intended:
How did you know that I was going to ask her?
:Because I am a piece of you and I know what you feel because I feel the more primal versions of what you do:
Sometimes I wish that I would have had my mother for a little longer. She would have taught me of these feelings. I do not even know what I am feeling now. I would appreciate you telling me what I am feeling but I don't think you know.
:I know a little more than you do. I know what it's called. This is a mainly human emotion but demons are sometimes blessed to feel it. They only feel it when they find their soul mates and bind themselves together with an emotional bond like you and our intended share. You two hold an understanding that reaches far beyond the capacity in which normal youkais can feel. You have found your soul mate. This strange emotion is called love:
And I went and sent her away with my stupidity. Now she will never come back to me.
:Inner beasts can see some of what lies ahead; we have a little of the seer abilities. I see that our intended will return but she shall be on the brink of death and she will no longer trust us. If you do not convince her to stay with us in this world of the living: her death will kill us both:
Kagome is going to be injured? I cannot let this happen! I have to follow her! I will not let my intended be injured because I sent her away! I will not live with the fact that I let her feel pain! I promised I would die fighting for her and I will live up to that promise!
:Calm yourself, taiyoukai! This part of your future has been set in stone! She shall not let us find her and I will make sure we are here waiting for her when our intended returns to us! She is on a quest that will change all of our lives. Ours and hers. We need to be waiting for her:
But…
:No. I am leaving now and I expect you to behave yourself, taiyoukai. I do not wish to have to come out and take control of your instincts:
Never shall I let you take over me…grrrawr…I am far too strong!
:Conceded pup! I am your strength! I am your mind! Learn your place, pup, and do NOT growl at me. I am the feral one! I would think that the great taiyoukai of the West would show some respect to the creature that helped him gain his title:
Gomen ne, beast, I shall no longer growl. But do NOT expect me to let you take over my better instincts. She is MY Kagome and if I wish it, I shall follow her!
:I do not care if we follow her as long as we are back immediately after we find ourselves unsuccessful to await the return of our other half:
Other half?
:No more questions. If you do not hurry, you will lose your chance to see her go:
Then the beast quieted, leaving a very confused inu sitting there on the ground. Soon he was up and moving again, though, heading the way his 'soul mate' had went.